about a year ago, i was given my car to take up to school. before i drove it up, i had it checked out and oil changed (local dealership - place #1, 27,000 miles). there was a small oil leak, but it would take more time than i had to find it and fix it, so it was determined i could safely drive it up to school and get it fixed there (within 1000 miles). since it was under warranty, i took it to a local dealership once i got back up (place #2, 27,500 miles). it took me going there 3 times before they determined that there was no oil leak anymore. when i drove the car back down south, i took it to the local dealership (place #3) for the 30,000 mile inspection. they claimed to have found the oil leak and fixed it. when it was time to change my oil several months later i brought it to a jiffy-lube type place (place #4, 33,000 miles). the guy who worked there told me that my fluids were filthy, showed me mine and what clean ones looked like, and they should really be flushed. i found my 30,000 checkup description, and it never listed flushing the fluids. i wound up paying 4 times what i was going to for just the oil change, but i figured if my car needed it so be it. a couple months later (tuesday), i brought my car in to a mechanic to have the brake pads replaced (place #5, 34,000 miles). someone asked to borrow my car today and when they returned they told me they smelled burning oil. i checked the dipstick and there was virtually no oil in the car. now i have to go to another mechanic, but frankly i'm really worried that it won't be the last time for the same problem. i don't fault the first dealership i went to for not fixing the problem, i never asked them to and they i didn't give them enough time. the 2nd and the 3rd places were jokes. i'm not sure if the 4th place was scamming me, so i'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they weren't. i know i didn't hire the 5th place to fix an oil leak, but maybe they might have noticed the burning smell? or possibly have checked the oil? next week i'm bringing the car back to place #1, because the manager's my uncle and i haven't seen him in a while. but damn... cars can suck.
btw, this was a 1999 toyota camry. which had almost no problems before this oil leak, except that it bottoms out very easily and one of the air vents is loose - both problems i was told were "impossible to fix and i'm just going to have to live with them."
edited to indicate miles at each place. oil had been changed religiously every 3k miles before i got it and since.
btw, this was a 1999 toyota camry. which had almost no problems before this oil leak, except that it bottoms out very easily and one of the air vents is loose - both problems i was told were "impossible to fix and i'm just going to have to live with them."
edited to indicate miles at each place. oil had been changed religiously every 3k miles before i got it and since.
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